ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Occurrence of Specific Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Congeners in an Industrial Zone
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1
PSRI Institute for Protection and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska,
Vidovdanska 43, Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
2
City of Banja Luka, Trg Srpskih Vladara 1, Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
3
Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan
Submission date: 2020-02-05
Final revision date: 2020-06-02
Acceptance date: 2020-06-05
Online publication date: 2020-09-18
Publication date: 2020-11-10
Corresponding author
Predrag Ilić
PSRI Institute for Protection and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka, Vidovdanska 43, 78000, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2021;30(1):635-643
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ABSTRACT
The concentrations and composition of Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in
soils in an industrial zone. Total PCB concentrations (ΣPCB congeners: PCB28, PCB52, PCB101,
PCB118, PCB138, PCB153 and PCB180) varied in range from 0.26 to 6722 mg/kg in soil, with a median
of 31.80 mg/kg. These values indicated that the soil is highly polluted. PCB in the subjected area was
the result of anthropogenic activities. The principal component analysis showed that the commercial
PCB products (PCB101, PCB118, PCB138, PCB153 and PCB180) are the main cause of pollution (PC1
factor), with 79.38% of total variance. The PC2 factor is in relation with the combustion (residential
heating and fire in location), with 17.65% of total variance (lighter chlorinated congeners PCB52 and
PCB28). Hierarchical cluster analysis indicated that the PCB congeners in the similar group might have
similar sources, which was also confirmed by PCA.